Host defence peptides from the skin glands of the Australian Blue Mountains tree‐frog Litoria citropa

Abstract

Nineteen citropin peptides are present in the secretion from the granular dorsal glands of the Blue Mountains tree‐frog Litoria citropa; 15 of these peptides are also present in the secretion from the submental gland. Two major peptides, citropin 1.1 (GLFDVIKKVASVIGGL‐NH 2 ), citropin 1.2 (GLFDIIKKVASVVGGL‐NH 2 ) and a minor peptide, citropin 1.3 (GLFDIIKKVASVIGGL‐NH 2 ) are wide‐spectrum antibacterial peptides. The amphibian has an endoprotease which deactivates these membrane‐active peptides by removing residues from the N‐terminal end: loss of three residues gives the most abundant degradation products. The solution structure of the basic peptide citropin 1.1 has been determined by NMR spectroscopy [in a solvent mixture of trifluoroethanol/water (1 : 1)] to be an amphipathic α‐helix with well‐defined hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. The additional four peptides produced by the dorsal glands are structurally related to the antibacterial citropin 1 peptides but contain three more residues at their C‐terminus [e.g. citropin 1.1.3 (GLFDVIKKVASVIGLASP‐OH)]. These peptides show minimal antibacterial activity; their role in the amphibian skin is not known.